He felt as if centuries have passed, and still Raziel could hear the Elder god’s words lingered in his mind.

“All is lost. You have failed me, servant.  There is no way for you to go back anymore.  You have sealed your own fate.  This is where you will belong for eternity.”

“No..! I will not accept it!” he shouted, his voice echoed throughout the cave walls. The cave was where he had settled himself into and he had been there for a prolonged length of time, dwelling in his condemned thoughts.  He could not believe he had been defeated so easily, through deceptions by a mortal.  Slumping his back onto the icy, colorless wall, he slowly slid down until he touched  the rough ground, then ran his vampiric fingers  through his hair – like a young man would do when he was hopeless.  But Raziel was far away from being a man, and he did not feel any younger staying there...what was there to do but to cry it out? Even then, he could not even shed a tear.  I must find a way out somehow, he thought.  After a long, deep silence; he heard the voices again.
Those voices called him for the first time from the moment that Moebius had sent him there.  They sounded so far away, but it was a bit clearer than he had heard previously, and desperate. “Raziel…”

“Who are you?” asked Raziel.  This time he was sure that it came from only one voice, calling him over and over again.  As he tried to find the voice, something formed out in front of him.  It was a mysterious blue light, shining brighter and brighter, until it illuminated the walls. The voice seemed to came out from the light itself, and this time it said, “Come with me.” The light started to levitate out of the cave.  Raziel felt he was drawn to it and followed willingly to wherever it was taking him.  Without realizing it, he reached a place with circled engravings on the ground.  Raziel could not make out the weird writings or patterns in the engraving, but he could sense that there was something important about it.  The light hovered still in the middle of the circle.  “What are you?” Raziel asked again. “Why are you taking me here?” No sooner had he mentioned that, a purple gas began to vapor skywards in the middle of the circled engravings.  It obviously appeared now as a portal.  
 
Impossible! The Elder God had told him so.  Unless…this is the exception. Soul substitution will take its place…right here, and right now.  This could be something that he had been hoping for. The miracle.  Could this be in relation to the Innate Truth? So Moebius did not lie to him after all?  Standing there perplexed, he was almost shocked by the voice. It started to speak again. 

“Come closer, come closer…”

This time, it’s clearer, louder and he sensed a familiarity in it.  It sounded like his own,  but there was a little difference.  This one was more gentle and forgiving. No trace of anger or hatred, although it slightly desperate when it called him.  Suddenly, a silhouette formed out of the portal.  Raziel was certain that it was a spirit, and of a manly figure.

“I have struggled to come here,” said the voice. It grew weak and fading. “Take my life and return to your world once more.”   Extending its right hand towards Raziel, it beckoned him to take it, inviting him to come into the portal.  Raziel did as he was told.  Although he could not figure how could all this happen, he was overjoyed in his heart though…

He still had another chance.  

As he took the spirit’s extended hand, everything seemed to flash before his eyes, and he completely absorbed into oblivion. 

Raziel woke up – the same way as he did before when he was resurrected.  He slowly picked himself up, examined his claws, covered himself with the shawl to hide the missing jaw.  He eyed the surroundings; the icy-grey walls, the barren ground, emptiness. The Abyss. Everything looked just like how it was when he was first revived back from dead.  He understood now. Elder God had lied to him too. He thought all this time he was the one that resurrected him – but in truth, it wasn’t.  

“Thaddeus is at peril.  Please save him, Raziel. Find Moebius.” those were the last words the spirit said, before it drifted away.  He did not understand what it meant.  Feeling indebted to it for rescuing him, he would find a way to return the favor. The sooner the better…and he would start by hunting down the trickster who played this trick on him.

 Meanwhile, not very far away…

Thaddeus was caught blindfolded and tied to a ten feet pole. Moebius was there, walking to and fro, reading something from an ancient journal.  Kain was there too, next to Thaddeus.  He was caressing Thaddeus’ face with sharp claws, fatally yet gently, admiring the man’s good looks.  “You do have the similarities to Raziel…”Kain spoke softly.  Thaddeus was uneasy of his doing.  He started to cry and beg for mercy. 

“I don’t want to die!”

“It was written here in the records!” cried Moebius, ignoring Thaddeus.  “He was the last descendant of Raziel.  His bloodline can be proved by a symbol at the back of his neck. It depicted of a small, circled engravings…the birthmark.”

Kain checked for the place where Moebius mentioned.  “You’re right.  I can’t believe it…for the first time ever you are telling the truth!”

“Will you stop mocking me?” cried Moebius, annoyed. “It lies in the history in one of the Sarafan’s journals.  Every one of his descendants had been leaders, and killed in the Holy War…”

“Not Thaddeus.  He will die real soon.  Murdered here because of his cowardice and unable to fend for himself.”  The sky turned prominently dark.  Lightning flashed and thunder roared followed by heavy rain.  The wind began to blow strongly. Everything apparently looked like a bad omen was about to happen.  

“He’s still a boy!” shouted Kain to Moebius.  He spoke louder now because it was getting harder to hear with the strong wind and rolling thunder.  “No more than fourteen or fifteen years old!  Isn’t it a bit too young to be a leader of a deadly association?”

“I don’t care what his age is!”  cried Moebius.  “Don’t you want him dead too?  If you let him be, one day he will hunt you and your kind!”  Kain shifted his gaze from Moebius to the sobbing young man.  “What are you waiting for? Cut his throat now!”

Kain’s claws moved downwards from the Thaddeus’ face, and leaving only his forefinger, he slowly slid it down until it reached his adam’s apple.  The pain from the movement began to excruciate.  The young man sobbed even harder and begged to spare his life.

“Moebius!”

Surprised,  Kain and Moebius turned around. Bewilderment set in their eyes.  They saw a black, shadowy figure stood on a western hill from where they were.  As lightning flashed down, Moebius managed to get a glimpse on his face.  “Raziel…?” he croaked. “It can’t be!”
Kain could not believe what he had seen either, and thought it was one of Moebius’ schemes.  He walked swiftly towards Moebius and shook him as hard as he could. “What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded.  

“I…I don’t know! Raziel wasn’t supposed to come back  This is impossible!” Moebius stammered, his face already turned white.  He casted a weak glance onto the hill. Raziel was on his way here, gliding down with his broken wings.  Seeing the genuine expression on Moebius’ face, Kain could only shake his head in disappointment.  Panic stricken, he asked him.

“Does he know we’re both plotting this together..?”

“N…no...I don’t think so…”

“Good! Because I don’t want him to, and I definitely don’t want Raziel to avenge me for what I didn’t do.  I didn’t send him back to the past and trap him there!  All I’ve ever done was giving my consent to your stupid idea! Our agreement is over, Moebius!”  Kain started to vanish into thin air, but Moebius hanged onto him, and begged, “Take me with you!”  Before Kain could push him away, Moebius was sucked into the portal that Kain had made to escape.

When Raziel reached the ground, they both had disappeared.  Coward, he thought.  One day you will get what you deserve.  He reached for Thaddeus, untied the boy and opened his blindfold.  Thaddeus wanted to say something, yet no words came out.  Raziel sighed.  “You must be...Thaddeus.” he said, breaking the ice.

“Y..y..yes.”  Thaddeus finally said, astounded the stranger knew his name.  “Th..th…thank you.  Thank you for saving me from them.”

“Them?” asked Raziel, confused.  “It was too dark to see up from the hill, but I saw only one man here.  Thought it would be you or Moebius.”

“There was also one man with him.  He was the one who almost slit my throat.  I didn’t know who it was. I remember being knocked unconsciously and when I came to, here I am. All gagged and tied up … but thank the heavens! You came just in time.  I might have been…”

“Don’t mention it…” Raziel sighed again.  He could sense that despite the gratefulness Thaddeus showed, the young man was horrified by his hideous appearance.  Raziel turned to leave.  

“W..w..wait..” stammered Thaddeus. “I didn’t even know your name.”  Raziel did not make any move or sound, but just stood there in the pouring rain, with his back facing him.  

“There is no need for you know…because I don’t really have a name.”
Realizing uneasiness between their alienated presence, Thaddeus cleared his throat and walked closer.  “It’s okay,” he said.  “You don’t have to tell me anything. Here, take this.”  He unchained a pendant that was tied around his neck and gave it to Raziel. “This pendant had been handed down throughout my generations.  First worn by my earliest ancestor.  It came along with a saying, as my grandfather had told me before he passed away; that one day a stranger will come and rescue a special descendant of the Sarafan leader.  Should that happens, that descendant must give this to the savior.  I thought it was just some kind of mythical traditions.  I guess it was true after all. Didn’t realize that descendant would be me, though.”

Raziel took the gift,  uttered a short thanks and scrutinized the pendant.  “It had circled engravings on it.” he said.

“Yes, that is a symbol carried by every Sarafan leader.  Take it to the Tomb of Sarafan.  Forgive me if I’m wrong but…” he paused a while before he continued, “I think my grandfather used to say to me that it was some kind of key to unlock the Innate truth.”

To satisfy the curiosity in his heart, Raziel went on a journey to the Tomb of Sarafan.  There were hundreds of ancient sarcophagus in the mausoleum, each contained a great warrior, priest, or leader. But there was only one that had drawn him to come here.  One with the exact pattern that matched the pendant which Thaddeus had given him.  He found it, and read the encryption:   
 

He finally realized it was his human spirit self that came to him in the Abyss.  So Raziel had known from the very beginning; his fate would come undone, and that was the reason why the pendant was made - to make him understand that only Raziel alone can save himself.  That is what the innate truth was all about, it seemed.  
But…why?  Why would he wanted to rescue someone who had become something worse than a vampire, their deadliest enemies?  
Perhaps…it was meant to be so that in the future he could embrace a different direction in his destiny, in order to create alliance between men and the soul reaver…a greater alliance to defeat the vampire race, to live in harmony and peaceful Nosgoth once again.  It could be one of his greatest vision, and he was getting one step closer to fulfilling it.    

How did the human Raziel knew and find the way to accomplish it, he could never figure it out.  Ever.  Maybe it would be best to leave it that way.  At least, he could put his mind at ease, for now.